Raise your hand if one of the reasons you read romance is for the sex. You aren’t alone. This raises a myth about asexuals that I’d like to address. You’ll learn this in the book as well, but here’s the short clarification.
Asexuals can have and enjoy sex. Asexuality is a label addressing the lack of sexual attraction. Many asexuals will have sex, but they are unlikely to initiate it. Yes, there are others who are repulsed by sex. Asexuality is a vast spectrum for this reason.
In Rising from Ash, the character Ash identifies as asexual and demisexual. That means she doesn’t experience sexual attraction to people without developing an emotional connection first, and sometimes not even then. Part of her relationship journey with Phoenix is finding a way to honor her own needs while meeting Phoenix’s. And really, what relationship doesn’t have to navigate competing needs at some point?